VisionServe Alliance 2026 Annual Award Recipients
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
VisionServe Alliance Honors Diane Nelson
with the 2026 Excellence in Leadership Award
Helping One Child to Help All Children
VisionServe Alliance is honored to recognize Diane Nelson, Executive Director of VIPS, for her unwavering commitment to enhancing learning opportunities by providing early intervention services to young children living with blindness or low vision and their families.
The Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes exemplary leadership demonstrated by an Executive Director, President, or CEO of a member organization. Award recipients are listed on a print and braille plaque in the Hall of Fame – Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field located at the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Kentucky.
After a successful career in the private sector, in 2008 Diane Nelson joined VIPS (Vision Intervention and Parental Support), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Under her leadership, VIPS has expanded operations into Indiana, has more than tripled its annual budget and more than doubled the number of children and families served.
“Diane is a hands-on visionary,” said Lee Nasehi, President and CEO of VisionServe Alliance. “In addition to growing VIPS locally, she is also a strong and passionate voice nationally for blind and low vision children and their families. Her willingness to pitch in to get the job done coupled with her deep understanding of those VIPs supports make her an inspiring leader and advocate.”
We extend our deepest gratitude to Diane Nelson for her exemplary leadership and life-changing efforts on behalf of our field and the people we are proud to serve.
The Excellence in Leadership Awards will be commemorated during lunch hosted on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the Envision and VisionServe Alliance 2026 Conference in Columbus, OH.
About VisionServe Alliance
VisionServe leads an alliance of more than 130 organizations that vastly improve the lives of people with blindness and low vision. VisionServe Alliance collaborates with leaders to enhance the health of the vision service field, addressing strategic issues, cultivating leadership, enhancing management systems, sharing best practices, increasing capacity-building and sustainability, informing public policy, and maximizing awareness of life-changing vision rehabilitation training. For more information, visit VisionServeAlliance.org.
About VisionServe Alliance Annual Awards and Annual Conference: VisionServe Alliance bestows its Annual Awards on leaders and innovators in the BVI field. Leaders receive Annual Awards in several categories at our annual conference.
VisionServe Alliance press inquiries may be directed to SDraddy@VisionServeAlliance.org